Coastal Blog

July 2011

The House of Representatives is forging an attack on America's long standing environmental laws. The House has been busy passing 'dirty water bills' and tacking on riders to the 2012 federal budget that restrict the EPA's authority to enforce the Clean Water, Clean Air and Endangered Species Acts.

There’s only one week left in the Cali Bamboo, Surfrider Foundation 2011 National Greenscape Challenge Contest. Inspired by the Foundation’s Ocean Friendly Gardens program, contestants are encouraged to submit photos and descriptions of their landscapes and gardens that were designed with Surfrider Foundation’s OFG method of CPR: conservation, permeability and…

Both reclaimed water systems (treated wastewater used for irrigation) and potable reuse systems are expanding in the Fort Worth area and throughout the state of Texas. Although this is partially in response to the current drought, it makes sense even in non-drought times. In Big Spring, a local water authority…

The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 aims to make the public and environment whole for injuries to natural resources and natural-resource services resulting from an oil spill. Under the OPA, BP is liable for all damages to natural resources resulting from last year’s massive oil spill in the Gulf of…

Earlier this month news came out of Washington that the City of Bellingham banned plastic bags and put a fee on paper bags. Last week a similar story is coming out of Portland, Oregon. After state legislators failed to act on SB 536 this year, which would have enacted a…

Surfrider members recently attended a number of listening sessions held around the country on the new National Ocean Policy. At sessions in New Jersey, California, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii, and elsewhere, Surfrider members expressed strong support for the National Ocean Policy, while also pushing federal officials to strengthen actions identified in…

Today, the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of the City of Manhattan Beach’s single-use plastic bag ban, holding that state law does not require the City to complete a full Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) in order to impose the ban. This decision undoubtedly will make it easier for cities…

Four months after initially presenting an ordinance to Bellingham City Council members to reduce single-use bags, on July 11th, the Bellingham City Council voted 7-0 in favor of the ordinance to ban carry out plastic bags and implement a 5 cent fee on brown paper bags starting July 2012. This…

With a great OFG Basics Class in the books, Class attendees will use the (new) knowledge to evaluate a site for how well it "applies CPR - Conservation, Permeability and Retention" - the principles behind Ocean Friendly Gardening. Everyone is welcome to attend the Hands-On Workshop, not just Class attendees.

A recent opinion piece in San Diego State University's Daily Aztec by senior Randy Wilde points out the multiple advantages of operating the Water Purification Demonstration Project and potentially building a larger-scale version of this facility to establish a reliable, local drinking water supply at a lower cost than ocean…

We're going on tour! Surfrider Foundation has been invited to go on the 2011 Honda Civic Tour this fall with Blink-182 & My Chemical Romance! Surfrider will be partnering with Reverb, a company dedicated to creating "green" tours with a goal to engage fans and raise awareness regarding environmental issues…

Surfrider Foundation sent a Notice of Intent to Sue for Clean Water Act violations to Maui County on June 28, 2011. The suit stems from the nearshore water quality impairment caused by the ongoing violations of the Lahaina Wastewater Treatment Plant. The County’s facility injects millions of gallons of wastewater…

On June 25, Surfrider Foundation activists joined tens of thousands of people around the world in participating in Hands Across the Sand, a grassroots event in support of protecting our coasts from offshore drilling.

The Fish and Game Commission officially voted this week that October 1, 2011 will be the implementation date for the southern California Marine Protected Areas. For over two years the State, local stakeholders and other organizations have been working to create a network of MPAs that protect sea life and…